


Life Skills 101: Picking Your Battles Wisely

by Drarrelie



Series: 52 Weeks of Drarry [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: hogwarts365, Drabble, Facebook: The Pen15 is Mightier, Ficlet, Flustered Harry Potter, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Movie Night, POV Harry Potter, Pre-Slash, Reluctant friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27745057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drarrelie/pseuds/Drarrelie
Summary: Malfoy was so close — too close — and Harry wished the red velvety chair would open up and swallow him whole.This work is part of a series of connected weekly drabbles written during 2020.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: 52 Weeks of Drarry [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612318
Comments: 16
Kudos: 47





	Life Skills 101: Picking Your Battles Wisely

**Author's Note:**

> Since Hogwarts365 posted their final prompts last week, from here on out I’m going to dig deep into their vast archive for prompts to inspire the last few drabbles of this series. This week’s prompts selection — #14, from 14 December 2013 (Can you believe how long Hogwarts365 has been going on?! Tbh, back then, I didn’t even know fanfics was a thing🙈) — was given to me by my wonderfully loyal and supportive reader stardanced. I thought it fit perfectly with my Pen15 is Mightier prompt, and I hope you all like how it turned out.
> 
> [@hogwarts365](https://hogwarts365.tumblr.com/) drabble challenge, weekly prompts #14:  
> 1\. “Go ahead, ___. Make my day.”  
> 2\. ~~James Sirius Potter~~  
>  3\. Romance
> 
> The Pen15 is Mightier weekly drabble prompt: Movie
> 
> As always, thank you for the beta, [adavison](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adavison) 💙

Harry wished the red velvety chair would open up and swallow him whole.

When he’d suggested they’d all go to the cinema together, this had not been his intention. He’d envisioned a fun night out with an assortment of miscellaneous lions and snakes, maybe even an eagle or two, enjoying a random movie for the sake of post-war house unity.

Not _this_.

Harry still didn’t know who to blame. ‘The Slytherins’ was a tempting answer — wasn’t it always? — but deep down he knew the Gryffindors had been equally at fault. If he’d asked Hermione about it, she would undoubtedly have said, ‘Why, your irremediable competitiveness, of course. Honestly, Harry, this is getting ridiculous.’ Which was why he never asked her.

When he’d first proposed the idea at the end of one of their regular movie nights, it had been one of those spontaneous things that happened to escape his mouth sometimes.

The Gryffindors had at least been polite about it. “Sorry Harry. It does sound fun, but…” and, “I wish I could join you, but…” and, “Maybe another time?” The Slytherins, on the other hand…

“Nice try,” and “As if,” and “Er, no thanks, Potter,” they’d said, one after the other, scepticism tugging at their obnoxiously haughty eyebrows.

Their collective reluctance had only fuelled Harry’s resolve.

“How about you then?” he’d asked the only person in the room who had yet to offer up a pathetic excuse. “Don’t tell me you’re scared too, Malfoy.”

“You wish!” Malfoy had sneered. “Just go ahead, Potter. Make my day!”

Harry had ignored their friends’ stupid eye-rolls and amused sideways glances, focusing instead on the vicious glint in those silver-grey eyes.

“Potter?” Malfoy’s breath was hot against Harry’s skin as he whispered in the dark. “Are you sure this cinema thing really is a _friends’_ thing?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Because, er… we’re surrounded by lovey-dovey couples…” Malfoy’s swallow was loud next to Harry’s ear. “Are we on a date or something?”

“W-what— No!”

Harry blinked, surveyed the room, wanted to die.

 _Fuck_.

How was he supposed to know a film named after one of the major turning points of the Second World War was essentially a 183-minutes-long heart-breaking romance movie?

**Author's Note:**

> I love and cherish any and all feedback you’re willing to give me — kudos, comments and recommendations are my primary life sources.
> 
> For more interaction, please find me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/drarrelie)


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